Job Description

At Microsoft, we have bold ambitions: Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. To accomplish this, the Mixed Reality Design and UX Research team is looking for divergent thinkers and makers who explore and learn by making, obsess over every degree, pixel, word, and sound wave, bring our curiosity about the world to re-imaging the relationship between people and technology and do so believing in the positive empowerment Mixed Reality will have on people’s lives.

Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Design and UX Research team is looking for a customer-focused Senior Technical Artist to help us live at the intersection of technology and art, with the aesthetic skills to understand what needs to happen, and the technical skills to make it so.

This team supports our employees in all locations around the country. This job has the option to be remote or located in one of our hubs.

Responsibilities

As a Senior Technical Artist, you will have the following responsibilities:

• Execute the artistic vision of the project and apply experience directly to the creation of solid artist-driven workflows, automation tools, content pipelines, and asset management that are vital for the design team to deliver highest quality industry content
• Work in multiple areas of the design team and be able to understand the needs of each unique area
• Identify, implement, and/or invent the correct technical approach to be able to render the Creative Director’s vision on target
• Proactively share information with the technical art staff across the organization to improve the craft and accelerate growth
• Provide unique solutions to improve the creative process in a collaborative environment
• Support the content creation teams with tools, workflow, and pipelines to aid generation and implementation
• Guide creation of smooth pipeline from outsourcers to game engine
• Create task lists & estimates as well as milestone documentation
  

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BFA in visual arts, computer science or equivalent industry experience
• 6+' years Technical Art experience working with Unity or an equivalent engine to design user interfaces for games, interactive experiences, or apps
• Good communication, interpersonal, organizational, and collaboration skills across multiple disciplines - this role works with developers, designers, and artists
• Agile, flexible, and comfortable dealing with the ambiguity of incubation work
• Collaborative and self-motivated; able to partner effectively with others while also making smart, strategic decisions and working independently
• A fundamental understanding of digital art processes and production - how do artist’s work
• Deep understanding of the technical requirements of real-time content development for both current-gen and mobile platforms- able to devise the highest visual quality solutions within aggressive performance constraints and working knowledge of performance analysis tools
• Proficient with various professional 3D software packages for asset content production (ex: 3DSMax, Maya, Houdini, Modo, Motion Builder, Zbrush, Mudbox, Photoshop, etc.)
• Working knowledge with 3D Asset modeling and UV creation as well as Character rigging
• Coding, workflow tools and script authoring experience that has reduced the cost of in-house or outsourced content production and pushed creative iteration
• Experience with coding optimized HLSL shaders for high end consoles
• Tool development in C++ and Python
• In-depth knowledge of software and real time lighting and texturing techniques
• Experience with performant real-time Visual Effects and Post Effects
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Designed a User Interface in a Virtual or Augmented Reality product that has shipped
• Motion Design - You can bring intimate objects to life
• Mobile App Development - You have created great experiences within the technical confines of a mobile platform
• Experience with middleware content pipelines a plus
  

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:  

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter. 
  

 

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Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.